Victoria
A city with deep roots as a former outpost of the British Empire, Victoria is known regionally for its traditional European layout and many tourist attractions.
The home of the British Columbia Parliament, Victoria is also filled with shopping, museums, fine-dining and the other mainstays of a tourist town. For the shopaholic, the path up Government Street from the hotel district to The Bay Centre mall is an endless string of stores punctuated by street performers and various restaurants.
Additional attractions include the Butchart Gardens, just east of Victoria, the immense (and student-discounted) British Columbia Museum and the historic inner-harbor at the heart of the city. Horse-drawn carriages do tours year-round, departing from in front of the breathtaking Parliament Building across the street from the inner harbor.
For students visiting from the U.S., the lower drinking age is an obvious attraction as well, and with a plethora of fine restaurants and tasteful bars within walking distance of the hotel district (the Irish Times on Government Street is a favorite for the tourist-geared pub experience), the Victoria bar-crawl is a convenient and enjoyable opportunity for many.
Despite being more costly than the traditional college vacation, Victoria is pleasantly affordable. It's accessible by car or ferry, and an abundance of exceptionally luxurious hotels ensures that staying overnight in Victoria is an easy and affordable way to get out of town.
Bellingham
Bellingham, known best to the collegiate community as the home of Western Washington University, is unsurprisingly best defined by the fact that it is arguably this side of the state's only real college town. For Seattle University students hailing from Washington state, Bellingham is a place to go escape the vibes of a city school and reunite with friends from back home at a place affectionately referred to as "High School 2.0."
This is not to say that Bellingham can only be enjoyed as a variation of the college life. It also offers a plethora of natural sights to see, and a local spirit of outdoor adventure that invites every visitor to grab a paddle for ocean kayaking or to lace up for a hike in what the National Park Service once dubbed "Trail Town U.S.A."
Above all, Bellingham is a place to sample a different kind of college experience, best guided by a student with friends at WWU. Filled with the unofficial trademarks of the Western experience, your hosts will most likely treat you one of the college's favored libations with a visit to one of the school's weekend house parties, pizza at McKay's tavern and Pizza Pipeline or the famous Up & Up Tavern and Rudy's Pizza (not of the Redhawk variety), which locals will brag sells the most Pabst Blue Ribbon of any bar in the U.S.
A weekend destination at most, it may not be the best for those seeking the full spring-break experience, but for a quick and casual escape from the city, Bellingham's always a winner.
Point Defiance
Oh, Point Defiance. If one was even remotely considering a spring break trip on a budget, where else could they really decide to go?
First and foremost, the Tacoma aroma will not reach you. Get it out of your mind.
Second, all 702 acres of this north Tacoma beauty are stunning. If the beach is your thing, go for a long stroll around Owens Beach. If biking or a nice run is in the cards, check out the five-mile drive. Its winding roads and plush rainforest scenery probably will not convince you that the University of Puget Sound was a better choice, and rightfully so, but seriously, it will blow your mind.
Nothing beats Point Dalco though. Along the five-mile drive are a series of viewpoints at which you can park the car, or preferably lock up the bike and snap photos like you never have before. Dalco, a fine example of these, presents an impeccable view of the Puget Sound, and chances are you will see some wildlife at the bottom of the cliffs below you.
For your less adventurous friends who tag along there is always Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Yes, animals in cages may be quite disappointing, but the penguins are really cool!
The best aspect? Getting to Point Defiance can be done entirely on the bus from Seattle, but should you elect to drive, in good traffic the trip will take you about 45 minutes.
San Juan Islands
Nestled in between Washington state and British Columbia are the beautiful San Juan Islands. Catch the ferry from Anacortes (80 miles northwest of Seattle) for a relaxing, hour-long ride to San Juan Island.
The ferry ticket is good for a round trip and will take visitors to the historic seaport of Friday Harbor, where there is plenty to eat, buy and see. Orca whales can often be spotted from the ferry, shore or a whale excursion boat.
From San Juan Island, visitors can take an inter-island ferry or water taxi to rural Lopez Island, "the friendly island" or Orcas Island for breath-taking views atop Mount Constitution.
Forks
Think you're the ultimate "Twilight" fan? Not if you haven't made the pilgrimage to Forks.
Accessible by ferries through Edmonds and Kingston, or by I-5 south past Olympia to meet up with Highway 101, both routes will take travelers through the beautiful Olympic National Forest. Visitors should plan for travel time of about four hours with views of the Pacific Ocean when taking the route through Olympia.
Forks' tourism has seen a boom since the popularization of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" novels, which place fictional events in the real town.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!